Paulette PerhachJun 2, 2026 – 5.00amWhen Sandy Smith’s stepfather lost his job during the Great Recession, she found herself supporting multiple family members and two households.Her family, who emigrated from Jamaica, had always been frugal, but to make her budget work, she became a “crazy personal finance person” for her friend group. She kept a binder of coupons and let her friends know what deals they should check out, bought her clothes at chain stores and skipped vacations for years while her friends travelled.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles